I need some clarification on the Junkers so I can better understand their relationships with lawfuls and unlawfuls. NPC Junkers seem to be neutral to law enforcement (they can dock on lawful planets), and of course they're in conflict with the Xenos. Myself, I just let them be unless I catch one involved in illegal activity.
So, what exactly are the Junkers? Scavengers with ulterior motives? Are they confined to Liberty space only? Detailed information on them would be most helpful.....
They also would serve as a storage house almost for those bringing the contraband to NY. Since it all goes in stages, they make a pretty penny by allowing the use of their station.
Junkers are organisation from different places in the sirius who work together on things others won't. Thats why they get the connections others don't and thats why others don't want to get in their way much. There's noone to clean that shizzle...
They also do lots of salvage work, finding ship parts and weapons in the scrap and debris fields for selling. Most of them work together in packs and they form the basis on which most of the other pirate groups work from. If it weren't for the Mostly neutral bases of the Junkers, the other pirates would be fighter each other a lot more for pirating rights in certain areas. They might be considered the Unlawful Zoners.
One important bit, though, is that they are nearly impossible to catch red-handed by law enforcement. The few careless ones are quickly dispatched and disowned by the rest of the Junkers so as to keep the police appeased. We really need more good Junkers...
Junkers are the only ones with true freedom. Going where they want (except Kusari) and doing what they want. Lawfuls can do nothing, as long as the Junker is shipping no contraband and unlawfuls (except Xenos) are in dependence of Junkers and their bases. A Junkers live is the easiest one in whole Sirius. Never get taxed and almost free shipchoice (not capital ships). As long as the Junker has the credits and good relations, he can take what he is preferring.
The 'official' view of junkers is that we're a group of individuals from every race, culture, and faction around Sirius who have joined together as salvagers for profit. We collect scrap and valuable equipment that's been lost in debris fields or on derelict ships, and we recondition and sell that scrap and equipment for cash to further our operations.
Unofficially, we run the entire Sirius black market with the exception of Kusari space. For the right price, we will acquire for you anything your heart could desire - from the best ships, to the best weapons and equipment; we even work with slaves (gotta love those slave girls), cardamine, and artifacts.
The two big factions we really have to worry about are the corsairs and outcasts. Both of them are extremely valuable allies, but we play a dangerous game trying to be friendly to both. On one front we smuggle cardamine for the outcasts in exchange for access to their space, equipment, and protection. On the other, we smuggle artifacts for the corsairs in exchange for the same things from them. Neither side really likes that we work for the other, but we're valuable enough that they wont hassle us about it.
We also offer 'safe havens' for criminal groups in most of sirius. When they're being hounded by the law, they can stay at our bases and hide. We bribe anyone and everyone to keep them out of our business and off of our stations in order to maintain that privacy.
There are really only two factions that dont like us - xenos and hogosha. The hogosha dont like us because we're foreigners (gaijin) and they want all foreigners out of kusari space. They also run the black market trade in Kusari, and they dont want us taking over in that department.
The Xenos would benefit greatly if they allied with us, but they're stubborn. They want to corner the black market trade in liberty so they can start making some big money, but with us around they cant do that.
junkers are unseen, junkers don t stir up trouble ( but they might take advantage from trouble ), junkers are cunning - but subtle, junkers are clever but won t show you that.
junkers are harmless ( or thats what YOU will think if you are not a junker ), junkers are a bit like a beggars guild in the middle ages. - you don t see them much, cause you try to avoid them, but they are there - and they are not powerless at all. junkers are there when you need them and when they want you to need them. they are not there when you need them and they do not want to assist you. - they have the initiative.
junkers are useful, and they make sure they are useful to everyone. - useful enough to benefit from it.
on a more practical and less philosophical note... junkers are a bit like gypsis. the "established" people don t see them, cause they decide not to notice them. they are individualists - but they have a strong "family" they can get backup from. if you mess with one, you mess with many ( contrast to zoners, who are more individualists without such a strong tie to each other ) - pissing one junker off can ruin your factions future, not cause they will fight you - but cause they simply won t be there when you need them.... .